Egyptian PM: Some Protesters Paid to Participate

Egypt's prime minister said a number of those involved in days of protests near the U.S. Embassy got paid to riot.

By Rachel Hirshfeld

First Publish: 9/16/2012, 4:58 PM

Riot policemen rest while clearing Tahrir Square and the area around the U.S embassy of demonstrator

Reuters

Egypt's prime minister said some of the thousands of people involved in days of protests near the U.S. Embassy got paid to riot, state news reported Saturday.

Prime Minister Hesham Kandil said "a number" of those involved in the violent protests, which began Tuesday, later confessed to getting paid to participate, according to the state-run Middle East News Agency.

Kandil added that some of the demonstrators were acting on their own accord and were not paid to participate in the riots.

Kandil did not say whether the government knew or suspected who paid the demonstrators, according to the MENA report.